Lace-paper top.



No. 783,581. PATENTBD FEB. 28, 1905.

J. HESS.

LACE PAPER TOP.

APPLIUATIOH FILED JAN. 2, 1904.

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JOHN HESS, ()F lVIlLVVAUKEE, VVISUONSIN, ASSlGNOR TU TVHLWAUKEE LACE .lAPER COMPANY, OF lVillJWAUlQElE, W ISCUNrllN, A CORPORA- TION OF WlSCUNSIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,581, dated February as,

Application filed January Z, 1904. $e1ia1 No, 187,454.

To (Ml/1 llf/tU/It xi/ 'lll/ll/ lj (auteur/t:

Be it known that .l., J O'IIN l'luss, residing at lVlilwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \Visconsin, have invented a new and useful improvement in Lace-Paper Tops, of which the following is a description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improven'ients in lace-paper tops especially adapted for being placed in boxes or other cases, either square, oblong, round, or other shape, as a partial cover, and in such form as to be neat and attractive, over the contents of the case, which may be candies, fruit, or any other material over which a cover partiilly inclosing the contents of the box when the cover is lifted, and at the same time exposing a portion of the contents of the case, usually at the central part of the top of the case, is desirable. Such lacepaper top is not in any manner attached or secured to the box or case, but lies loose on the contents of the boX or case.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for strengthening or supporting the lace-border or open-work portions of the top, so that the border will not give way or be torn in handling or displaced in use,

, especially about the central sight-opening in the top, through which opening the contents of the package is chiefly exposed to view.

The ornamental open lace-paper tops, consisting merely of a border or nnirgin of lace- Work with a large central opening, are exceedingly di'l'licult to handlequickly, particularly to take them from a pile or supply oi. such tops and place them on the surface of the goods in packages with which they are used, and even when placed on the goods their long unsu 'iported margins or borders unless secured by extraneous means, which ordinarily they are not, are liable to be distorted by slight disturbing occurrences, and this invention is directed to overcoming this liability to such disabilities and accidents.

The invention consists of the construction hereinafter described and claimed or its equivalents.

in the drawings, Figure i represents an oblong top of a form adapted especially to be placed in a small box containing candies or fruit. Fig. Qis adiagrammatical r1'mresentation of the general form of a circular top of lace-paper adapted to be used with a circular case.

'lhe loose tops embodying my invention are made of paper, the top being cut usually from a sheet of thin paper in such ormunental and fal'iciful shapes as to be attractive in ap aarance and so as to be adapted when placed on the top of the contents of a package to par- ,tially cover the same, but especially to render the appearance neat and attractive.

In the drawings, A represents the border lace-work of the top, which is provided with. a large central sight-opening B. The top may be made of such size and shape as desired to lie on top of the contents of the package of whatever form, leaving the contents exposed through the central opening B. As these tops thus made are usually of quite thin paper and are very unsi'lbstantial, being almost gossamer-like in character, it is quite difficult to handle them successfully. The lacework, especially marginally about the central opening, being liable to flap about or buckle or tour, I, provide means for supporting the lacework structure, preferably in orl'nunental form, so as to give the top greater strength and a more substantial existence. This i do by prmiding a band or bands U G of the material of which the top is made connected to and integral with the lacework about the central opening and extending across the central opening, which may be in diagonal or other crossed form, across the central opening. in all cases these strengthenii'ig-bands are formed of the paper of which the open lacmvork is composed, and the band or bands extend across the central opening in such direction and from such point to such other point as is deemed most desirable for seci'iri ng the object of the invei'1tion---- that is, the strengthening of the marginal paper lacework about the central opening across which the band or bands extend. As the lines of the bands cross each other medially, being integral with each other, they stay sight-opening and intersecting each other each other at such crossing-point. medially. I0

'hat I claim as my invention is- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in In a lace-paper top having a narrow border presence of two witnesses. of open lacework without support exteriorly JOHN HESS. about a central sight-opening of considerable itnesses: size, bands leading from the inner margins of C. T. BENEDICT,

the lacework border and extending across the ANNA F. SCHMIDTBAUER. 

